Praneeta Prakash 
The Water Authority of Fiji is facing significant hurdles in its efforts to ensure effective wastewater treatment and environmental compliance says Chief Executive Dr Amit Chanan.
Speaking before the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, Dr Chanan highlights the pressing need for infrastructure upgrades, stronger enforcement mechanisms, and increased investment to meet environmental standards.
Dr Chanan says a key concern is the non-compliance of eleven wastewater treatment plants with the Environmental Management Act.
“In terms of compliance with the Environmental Management Act, not any of our wastewater treatment plant is currently fully compliant and it’s an issue that we have identified in our Water Sector 2050 strategy. These plants are currently operating under interim operating permit and there is need for investment.”
According to Dr Chanan, WAF’s capacity to treat wastewater is being compromised by untreated industrial discharges.
He says despite the establishment of a Liquid Trade Waste Unit to manage industrial waste, challenges persist in enforcing pre-treatment requirements.
The WAF CEO says one of the primary obstacles hindering their efforts is its limited legal authority to enforce compliance as the Authority lacks the power to issue fines or penalties for non-compliance, making it difficult to deter violations and ensure accountability.
He says in July 2022, Parliament approved regulatory powers to issue fines, but they are still awaiting the line ministry’s approval to implement these powers.
